Search - Zaion - Epidemic (Vol. 1) - with Series Box on DVD

Looking Beyond Face Values

Jackie Almasy | 03/09/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Brought to us by the well known company GONZO, "Zaion: I Wish You Were Here" has many double faced comments and feelings towards it. Partially due to the sudden cut off of the series, GONZO turned what could of been a very well done 13 episode series to an OAV, containing only 4 episodes.

The story line itself is indeed a repeat of past projects. Known as NOA Soldiers in the anime, the group of soldiers transform into Power Rangers look alikes. This was the downfall that probably earned its bad reputation with fans of GONZO. As the characters go off and fight virus infested mutants, the general storyline is a typical science fiction setting.

Faced by an unknown entity called the M34 Virus, the lethal virus came with a meteor that crashed on Earth. Obviously having horrific effects on the human race, the Japanese government develops a group of soliders to fight off the virus victims.

The characters themselves are indeed a tad two dimensional. With only four episodes to indulge the audience in a science fiction world, character development cannot exist. The two main characters in the anime are 18 year old fighter Yuuji, and 16 year old Ai. Torn between why he fights and being used as a puppet, Yuuji faces internal issues of honor versus being a puppet.

Ai, having known no other life beyond being a science expierment, longs to know if she will actually live her life. Meeting by chance, the first episode indulges you in what will soon be their star crossed love. This earns another bad fault with the fans; the sudden love interest with each other.

With the well known reputation for creating amazingly deep and moving stories, this sudden turn from GONZO shocked fans.

However, the music of this anime is one of the most beautiful scores I have ever heard. As the end of the anime nears, you are indulged in beautiful piano pieces.

In the end, I cannot give it a high score. This was an unexpected switch from GONZO and was not recieved well. However, if you are looking for a not too expensive buy, this is a good recommendation. I personally enjoy watching all four episodes back to back every now and then for the sole purpose of hearing the music scores.

If your a fan of GONZO, give it a try and if you are solely looking for a new anime to buy, I would suggest moving on to something else."